New role model for Finnish holiday homes: windsurfing Olympic medallist designs a modern log cabin on nature’s terms for the archipelago

PRESS RELEASE 10.2.2020 10 AM

                                                                                                                                  

New role model for Finnish holiday homes: windsurfing Olympic medallist designs a modern log cabin on nature’s terms for the archipelago

Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén, a windsurfing Olympic medallist and architect, designed the Tuuli villa for Honkarakenne. The villa brings the natural landscape of the archipelago seamlessly indoors. New holiday homes combine everything that Finns need to relax nowadays: harmony with nature, spacious rooms, large picture windows and, of course, log structures. For Petäjä-Sirén, who is currently preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, the Finnish archipelago landscape provided a source of inspiration for designing her dream collection.

A modern log cabin blends in with the landscape

A connection with nature and modern, Nordic architecture are the distinguishing features of the Tuuli villa. The jewel in the crown of this streamlined, simple and elegant building is its elegant glass façade, based on the Honka’s post-and-beam structure. The large windows ‘invite’ the magnificent archipelago and natural light into the villa.

The open landscape visible from the lounge and other rooms is offset by cosy and sheltered sleeping areas. “The proven soothing effect of the construction material, logs, is ideal for these buildings, which people use to recover from the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” says Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén, an Olympic medallist in peak condition, who also lives in a log house.

The combination of natural materials and clear-cut design ensures that the villa is in equal harmony with the archipelago and wooded terrain. There is plenty of space between the sauna and living areas (which are under a single roof) for a large dining table, and the covered terrace allows residents to enjoy the scenery even on rainy days.

Love of nature as the starting point for design

“The forces of nature are present in everything I do. When sailing, I am surrounded by the sea on all sides and my design work stems from nature,” says Tuuli Petäjä-Sirén, an architect with Honkarakenne. The Tuuli villa, created in collaboration with Honkarakenne, which is passionate about ecological construction, is the Olympic sailor’s homage to an archipelago that has given her so much since childhood.

“At Honkarakenne, we want to promote healthy living in an environmentally sustainable way. Nature and the Baltic Sea in particular are very dear to Tuuli, which makes our values a perfect match,” says Sanna Huovinen, Vice President, Marketing, at Honkarakenne.

The Tuuli villa combines traditional logs with modern Finnish design. The continuously growing popularity of log construction is based not only on the beauty, durability and ecology of the natural material, but also the breathability of wood. Genuine wood that caresses the senses keeps the villa’s indoor air humidity at just the right level in any weather.

Honkarakenne Oyj

Honkarakenne Oyj manufactures high-quality, healthy and ecological detached houses, holiday homes and public buildings made from Finnish solid wood under the Honka® brand. The company has delivered 85,000 buildings to over 50 countries. The house packages are manufactured in Finland and the company’s own factory is located in Karstula. In 2018, Honkarakenne Group’s revenue was EUR 48.9 million, of which exports accounted for 37%.

For further information, please contact:

Sanna Huovinen, Vice President – Marketing, Honkarakenne Oyj, +358 (0)40 1978 707,

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